I recently came upon a Hindu quote from the eleventh century and while I don’t remember the exact words, it generally talked about riding a boat on the river of life. Sometimes that river twists and turns, other times the current is fast and at times it can be calm.
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As I started to think about it I began to wonder what type of boat we may need during our journey through the different phases of our lives. There are moments where we might need to be on an ice breaker when things are difficult, a speed boat if we need to move fast, a barge when we’re carrying a heavy load or maybe a simple house boat when it’s time to take it easy.
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While this metaphor relates to the needs we may experience, in a sense, it speaks to our travels to various ports of our existence. Sometimes we may stay for long periods of time or sometimes our stay can be cut short depending on the events that surround us.
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Today I included a picture of one of my paintings, “The Silent Dimensions of Our Prayers”. Without going into detail regarding the story behind the work, I want to point out the boat in the middle of the piece. Basically it represents the very thing I was talking about; and that is the journey we take to various stages in our lives.
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I’ve written about this before and that is the close relationships we develop with our colleagues in emergency medicine. Being thrown into chaotic situations or the difficulties we encounter in simply trying to take care of someone, we develop strong friendships. Unfortunately, the very makeup of the emergency department, or the ambulance for that matter, promotes a revolving door mindset. In a sense your only as good as the last patient you took care of and then it's time to move on to the next
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Over the years I’ve seen many good people come and go. I’ve developed close friendships with several colleagues to the point that if you bump into them several years after they’ve left, it becomes almost like you just talked with them yesterday.
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You might be asking yourself what is it about emergency medicine that creates this revolving door of employment? Don’t get me wrong, but there are many people who stay in it for most of their career. Just the same there are many who choose to leave and there are a variety of reasons for this. They include a better opportunity to simply being done with the job itself, because, let’s face it, whether you realize it or not, the very environment of emergency medicine can be toxic.
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You would think that helping someone in their time of need or in a crises situation would be rewarding, and generally it is. However, there are an endless array of situations from the way patients and their families treat you to the demands they make to your involvement in a patient’s end of life tragedy that wear you down.
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It’s been almost nine months since our emergency department lost a significant portion of our technicians. There were a lot of good people who were permanently laid-off and I’ve always hoped that they were able to rebound from this upheaval and find employment that was rewarding, mentally challenging, financially compensating and enjoyable.
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There were several technicians, twelve in all, that were able to keep their positions. However, this week will mark the departure of two of them. I’m unable to fully express the sadness I feel to see them leave for I’ve worked with them, developed a friendship with them, relied and learned from them over the last fourteen years.
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I realize that they’re moving to a position within the hospital that will challenge and provide them with a new sense of purpose. While I don’t want to see them go, I can’t help but wish them success.
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So to you, Bethany and Marie, as I tip the ultrasound probe to find the shine in the needle, I hope beyond hope that you shine, and I know you will, in your new position. In essence, there are many of us in this department that wish you all the best, not only at this new job, but in life too. Remember, life is more about the journey we take and less about the destination we reach. To all my friends, colleagues and the people I’ve crossed paths with over the years, may the boat you travel on provide you with the most secure and safe voyage.
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I still believe that the majority of is want to be in this together, let's not be too close together while we're all in it.